Getting Home

Part 26

*** Hey guys! Just a note: unedited and not really reviewed or edited yet since writing it, but I'll be re-uploading the final edited "more meticulously edited final" version for every chapter anyway, so... For these three parts (since they're so boring) I'm just randomly impulsively uploading, which is probably a bad idea, but eh w/e... if I am ever able to manage to finish this thing in time to enter for the Wattys, it will obviously be cleaned up, so... please forgive any egregious errors! If anything is too glaring or too big of a typo that really bothers you, please drop me a msg so I can fix it and at the very least keep it readable for you guys!!

Again, thank you guys SO much for your patience with this... you know I love YOU!!! <3 ***

"Not the God," Henry said, his brow furrowed. "But a God."

I was more confused than ever. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know."

Henry stayed hunched over to avoid putting his head into the short, mushy ceiling above us. His head was cocked, face concentrated as though straining to listen to something very faint.

"He doesn't know either," Henry said finally. "I think—I think he means there are others... others like me."

Henry's family? Or just other people like him?

"That's great," I said again... but this time I felt optimism.

If Henry could be reunited with his family, then at least SOME good could come out all this craziness.

"Where are they?" I asked hopefully.

Henry paused. "He doesn't know—he's never seen one."

Of course.

"Well how does he know?"

Henry shrugged. "He just always has."

I don't know if it was the abruptness of the let-down—or the fact that my head suddenly bumped into the mushy ceiling and a small river of warm, slimy goo ran started running down my hair and neck—but I started feeling really claustrophobic. I've never had a problem with enclosed spaces before, but here?

This place?

It suddenly felt like the thick, moist walls of this disgusting little pulsating-flesh-bubble were closing in on me, crushing and constricting the air (if that's even what I was really breathing), making it hard to get a full breath. Maybe that's what happened in this gross, weird place—the slimy walls would keep closing in, slowly strangling away all of the air and space, growing and bubbling around us, all the way until we were finally squeezed to death by—

"Let's go," Henry said.

He swung around quickly, revealing the small figure cowering up against the wall, and I suddenly forgot all about claustrophobia.

What the...?

It (he) was the size of a small child, about as tall as my waist. He (it) reminded me of a giant, carnival prize teddy-bear—except instead of soft, cuddly fur, his bare skin was hairless and tan, like a mocha color. I could see pretty big biceps and calves, so it was physically somewhat similar to me and Henry. His eyes were two huge, completely black round orbs. No clothes... no genitals.

That I could see, anyways.

"Ava?"

Henry had already somehow hopped up out of the hole. His hand was extended from above, reaching down to help me up.